


What Can I Do For You Tonight?

by fettuccinealfredo



Category: Hockey RPF, Washington Capitals - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Intense pining, Jealousy, M/M, Washington Capitals, but michael is a college student, it's only half alternate really, tom is still himself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-09 06:46:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4338044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fettuccinealfredo/pseuds/fettuccinealfredo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael’s a waiter at an Italian restaurant. This is the same restaurant where the famous hockey player Tom Wilson takes all of his dates to. Through his many dates, relationships and breakups, Tom realizes he’s falling in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally started to write this prompt for another ship over two years ago but never actually finished it. Now that i'm writing again for Willy and Latts I decided to try this prompt again since I really love it. I had a lot of fun writing this and hopefully you guys enjoy it! (((Also shamelessly repping American University whoops go Eagles!)))

Michael tied the half apron around his waist and walked into the main room of the restaurant. It was the last day of his first week and he was lucky it was midterms because the restaurant had been empty. The restaurant was near American University so only a few people came and most just ordered to go. Today was Friday though and more students decided to go out, this meant Michael had to actually go and work. He checked out the room and noticed it was mostly couples on dates and some group of friends. None of them looked like they would give him a hard time, at least he hoped. Max was already taking care of some customers when Nate came up from behind.

 

“Ready newbie?” Michael turned to face his friend. “Nate, you’re my roommate, you know my name, do you really have to call me newbie?” Nate smirked and responded. “Well I got you the job and you’re new. I had to deal with it from Max when I first started, now you will too. Don’t worry though it’ll only be a couple of days.” Nate winked and headed to his table when Max came over to him. “So newbie, that table over there doesn’t seem too hard. It’s a date so they’ll really only pay attention to each other. Take their order, bring it, act nice and you’re done. I’ll take care of the groups for now.” He gave him a pat on the back and went into the kitchen.

 

“Hello, welcome to Nostra Famiglia Italiana.  My name is Michael and I’ll be your waiter. What can I do for you today?” The two people looked up from the menus and smiled. One was a giggly red head whose smile could literally light up a room, she was gorgeous and there was no denying it. The guy was none other than Tom Wilson. Michael and Nate were both on the American University Ice Hockey team and followed the Washington Capitals religiously. There was a time in his life that Michael had considered playing hockey professionally but his parents wanted him to go to college first to at least have a backup plan. Now he focused on school and played hockey for fun, seeing Tom Wilson so close though made him suddenly doubt all his decisions. He would be lying if he said there weren’t times Michael watched a whole game waiting for Tom to come onto the ice, and when he got into fights go absolutely crazy. Nate always made fun of him and said that he had a crush on Tom but Michael never paid him much attention. Now standing in front of him though he started to think that maybe Nate wasn’t too far off.

 

“Hello can we have two waters to drink. And for the entrees I’ll have a Chicken Parmesan and what would you like Sofie?” Tom turned to his date who looked up at Michael and smiled. “I’ll have the Fettuccini Alfredo please.” Michael nodded and wrote everything down. “Thank you and it’ll be right up!” He walked away and started to put everything onto the machine when he felt someone’s presence behind him. He put in the last order and turned around to see Nate grinning. “Max and I decided to go celebrate your first week tonight and you don’t get a say. Now go, you have three more tables to tend to. Go go go!” He turned around laughing and Michael walked over to the next table, shaking his head at his weird best friend.

 

When he heard the bell ding he went over to the kitchen and grabbed the first table’s food. He carefully held the Fettuccini in one hand and the Chicken Parmesan in the other. He went over to the table and tried to ignore how the girl looked at him. He couldn’t deny she was attractive and if it had been any other moment he may have asked her out, but he didn’t want to ruin a relationship on his first day, he didn’t think that would leave him much of a tip. As he was layering the plates with parmesan cheese he saw the girl wink at him and from Tom’s expression she hadn’t been too subtle about it. Michael almost dropped the cheese grater onto his plate when he decided it was time to go and escaped from that table.

 

Michael tried to stay as far away from that table for the rest of night, only going when they called him or when Max told him he had to check up on them. Thankfully when Tom called him over this time it was for the check. Michael tried to do the transaction as quickly as possible knowing he wouldn’t be getting much of a tip from them. When the couple finally stood up Michael went over to clear up their table and noticed he actually left him a good tip, more than what was expected. He looked over to the couple that were now walking through the door and saw Tom wave at him. He smiled back and went over to the kitchen. He finished his night with the rest of tables all acting normally and later went out to the local bar with Max and Nate to celebrate his first week.

 

“Cheers!” they all chanted as they hit their glasses together and drank them down. “So how was your first week newbie?” Max laughed. Michael gave them a death glare. “We’re not in the restaurant anymore! Do you really have to keep on calling me newbie?” Max and Nate both nodded their head and screamed “Yes”. Michael shook his head as his friends laughed and drank. “It went well. Most of the tables were pretty easy to handle, no one ordered anything too weird or gave me a hard time. I had Tom Wilson at one of my tables which was cool but I think I may have accidently ruined his date.” Nate raised his eyebrows and looked at Michael. “What makes you think that?” He shrugged. “The girl kept on checking me out and even winked at me. She wasn’t too discreet though and he saw it. I thought he would have been angry but in the end he gave me a big tip so I guess it wasn’t too bad.” Max laughed and Nate shook his head. “Are you sure you didn’t subconsciously do it on purpose? You know, jealous of Tom and wanting to sabotage his date?” Michael rolled his eyes at him but laughed. “I did nothing wrong. I didn’t even tell him I recognized him or anything. I acted like a normal waiter waiting on a normal table. She was the one that was all over me.” Nate looked at him suspiciously and laughed with Max. “Of course Michael, we 100% believe you. Whatever you say.” He winked at Michael who just flipped him off. The three of them laughed and drank for the rest of the night.

When Michael woke up the next morning he was super hungover. The memory of Tom Wilson though was very clear and vivid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it! The next chapter will probably come out next week or a little sooner. I already have a timeline of how I want things to go so it just depends on how much time I have to write. My tumblr is [here](http://fettuccinealfredo.co.vu/) if you'd like to check it out or just want to say hi! Kudos/comments/bookmarks and everything are of course much appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael’s a waiter at an Italian restaurant. This the same restaurant where the famous hockey player Tom Wilson takes all of his dates to. Through his many dates, relationships and breakups, Tom realizes he’s falling in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So this isn't a very action-packed chapter but i'm almost done with the next one and that is where it starts to get better and more exciting! Still hope you all enjoy it :)

It was a week since Tom Wilson had been at the restaurant with the not very subtle girl. Michael had gotten used to the job and was starting to be fairly good at it. Sometimes even beating Nate in tips. Since midterms had ended, the restaurant had gone back to its regular busyness and would usually be packed. Tonight was no different. Michael was going from table to table when he got to the table that had just filled. He started to clear up their table and gave them his usual greeting. “Hello my name is Michael. What can I do for you today?” At that he looked up and his eyes locked with the blue orbs that had been going through his head all week, although if anyone asked, he had no idea what you were talking about. Tom Wilson was at his table, yet again.  “Hi there.” He looked at Michael and then went back to his date. “What would you like to drink Penelope?” Today he was with a short brunette. Michael actually recognized her from some parties and one of his classes. “Can I have a lemonade?” Tom smiled at her. “Of course.” He turned to Michael and spoke. “Give me a water and a lemonade for her. I’ll have a Tuscana and you want a Cheese Ravioli right?” He turned to Penelope who nodded her head. “What sauce would you like on that miss?” Michael looked up from his notepad and the girl was reading the menu again. “Umm I think I’ll go with the Vodka sauce.” Michael nodded his head. “Got it! It’ll be out momentarily. I’ll bring your drinks now.”

Michael turned to the kitchen and bumped into Nate. “Tom's back.” He whispered into Nate’s ear as he was putting an order in. Nate turned around and laughed. “No way, is the girl here too?” Michael shook his head. “That’s the thing. He’s with another girl tonight.” Nate look towards the table and raised his eyebrows. “A player huh? Guess we shouldn't have been too surprised. Sorry it didn't work out with you Mike.” Nate laughed and sympathetically patted Michael on the back. Michael rolled his eyes and turned around. He grabbed the drinks and went back to the table. The girl wasn’t there anymore but her purse was so he guessed she was just at the bathroom.

“I’m Tom by the way.” He looked up to Michael and smiled.

“Would be lying if I said I didn't know who you were, I’m a huge Washington Capitals fan." Michael responded.

At that Tom raised his eyes and amusement. "Really? That's cool man. Why didn't you ask for a picture or autograph last time?"

Michael shrugged. "You were on a date, I was the waiter, didn't think it would have been very appropriate."

Tom shook his head. "Nah dude don't question it. You're lucky I came back again today and gave you another chance. Remind me before we leave and I’d love to give you an autograph."

Michael grinned. "Awesome, wow thank you so much. Also, if you don't mind me asking. What happened with the other girl?”

Tom laughed. “Sofia? I think she was more interested in you than me if I’m going to be honest. Wouldn’t blame her though.”

Tom winked at Michael and Michael could feel his cheeks burning. He laughed and told Tom his food would be right out before running to the bathroom. In the mirror he could tell his cheeks were bright red, Tom definitely noticed. Michael threaded his fingers through his hair and went back to work. He didn’t know what Tom had on him but it wasn’t normal, and he definitely could not tell Nate about this. When their food was ready Michael brought it to them but found himself hiding from their table, again. He would send Nate to grab their empty glasses for him and only went when he was called. In the end Tom and his date finally left and again, left Michael a big tip. Michael realized he forgot to ask Tom for the picture but thought it was probably for the better.

He went back to the bathroom to try and splash some water on his face. Unfortunately this wasn't a commercial and he ended up with water all over his shirt and his hair drooping over his face. When he went back into the dining room though he noticed most of the tables were cleared so his boss would most probably let them leave early. He walked over to Nate who was sitting in one of the stools and as if on cue, the manager came up to them and said that as soon as this last table cleared they were free to go. Michael and Nate decided to both work the last table to try to get them out as fast as possible and were soon heading home with Max. Max drove them to their dorm most of the time and dropped them off since it was on his way.

Michael and Nate were walking into their room when Michael falls face first into the bed and grunts into the pillow. “Rough day?” Nate asks sitting on his bed. Michael sat up and rubbed his face. “Not really, just a bit confusing." Nate smirked at Michael and laid back on his bed. "You mean confusing because Tom said he didn't blame his date for preferring you?" Michael turned to Nate in shock and before he could say anything Nate laughed. "Max overhead and told me." Michael sighed into his pillow again. "I don't think it's as much of what Tom said as much as how much it turned me on." Nate raised his eyebrows in amusement and tried to hide back a laugh. "So I’ll let you off the hook about Tom for now because I can tell you're frustrated. In all seriousness though, who’s the last person you slept with and when?” Michael thought back. “I think Samantha when we were still together.” Nate sighed and shook his head. “You just need a good fuck. Max’s party is next Saturday, we’ll go, you’ll find a good boy or girl, hook up, and you’ll be as good as new again. Back to the old Michael I know and love. Now go to sleep. I have to open up tomorrow and I don’t want to be late.” Michael nodded his head and reached for the light switch to turn the lights off. Maybe Nate was right, a quick hook up was all he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will probably be out by the end of the week so stay tuned! Thank you for reading!! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this! If you haven't seen it, I was writing and posted another Willy/Latts one shot based on Michael's little instagram mishap which you can find [here!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4461371)

It was Friday night and the restaurant was busy again. Michael was jumping everywhere trying to get everyone’s food on time and right. Big nights like these were usually where he got his biggest tips and he didn’t want to mess anything up.

 

 

He went to the new table and came face to face with his ex, Samantha. Michael froze in his footsteps and Samantha looked away. From the side he heard someone clear their throat and turned to see Tom sitting on the other side of the table. Michael looked from Tom to Samantha and walked away from the table without even saying a word. He grabbed Nate by the arm who was carrying a tray of salads and cornered him.

 

 

“He’s back. Tom, he’s back with a date but, shocker, a different date.” Michael was muttering to Nate looking around to make sure no one heard.

Nate shook his head. “Dude I’m sorry but it’s not like you guys actually went out. You like him and that’s it.”

Michael looked him straight in the eye. “He’s here with Sam.”

At that Nate almost choked and turned completely unsubtle to look at the table. There they were, Michael’s ex-girlfriend with Tom. He turned to Michael and nodded. “I’ll take the table. Sam knows me but at least it’ll be less awkward with me. Take this to table five and take over with them.” He handed Michael the tray and walked over to the couple’s table.

“You’re a lifesaver!” Michael shouted and Nate just winked him back.

 

 

Michael tended to table five but couldn’t keep himself from constantly glancing over to Tom and Sam’s table. Sometimes though his eyes locked with Tom’s and he would have to quickly look away. He was doing fine with his table when Nate comes over to him.

“Bad news. Tom guy told Charles that he wants you as his waiter.”

Michael stared at Nate with a blank face and Nate waved a hand in front of his face. “Hello? Charles? You know? Our manager, Charles? You’ve been working here long enough to know who he is!”

Michael shook his head. “I know who Charles is, Nate. I just don’t know why they want me as their waiter.”

Nate shrugged. “Tom wants you as their waiter; Charles didn’t say anything about the girl.”

Michael nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay yeah sure. I have no other choice do I?”

Nate shook his head and pat him on the shoulder. “You’ll do fine. Just don’t give them much attention, give them their food and go only when absolutely needed. You already know he’s going to give you a big tip whether you do a good or crappy job.”

Michael nodded his head and started to walk towards the table when Nate called him back. “And Michael, remember to breathe.” At that Michael released the breath he hasn’t released he was holding and walked back to the table.

 

 

He filled their empty glasses ignoring the uncomfortable look from Sam and look of mischief from Tom. He went to give them their food but Sam was gone when he came back. Michael assumed she was just at the bathroom since he didn’t have enough luck for her to leave. He set down the plates and grated the cheese quietly before walking away. Before he could leave though Tom called him back. “Can I ask you a question?” Michael turned around and nodded his head. “What happened? Between you two I mean? You have always been a fantastic waiter, why suddenly freeze now? And why does she look away every time you come by?”

“Ex-girlfriend” was all Michael responded.

Tom nodded. “Should have guessed. Ended badly?”

Michael shrugged. “I don’t know if bad. But definitely wasn’t a walk in the park. She found out I was bi and freaked out on me. I didn’t cheat on her or anything. She just found a picture of me with an ex-boyfriend and started freaking out. Broke up with me the next day and haven’t seen her since.”

Tom raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Think she’ll freak out on me if I tell her I’m bi?”

Michael laughed and again, if anyone asked, his mood hadn't suddenly gotten incredibly better. “Probably. Can I ask a question now?”

Tom smiled. “Spit.”

“So Sofia because she was more interested in me. What happened with Penelope?"

Tom laughed and shrugged. “Just wasn’t my type. Didn’t feel anything with her.”

Michael nodded. "And why did you ask for me as your waiter, seeing how uncomfortable Samantha and I were?"

Tom gave a guilty look of mischief. "I remembered that I never gave you the autograph and you deserved it, you've always been an awesome waiter. Plus," Tom smirked. "We were kind of bored and thought it would be fun to see you two squirm around each other."

Michael laughed and shook his head. "You're a dick."

Tom burst out laughing and shrugged. "What can I say, there's obviously not going to be a second date, might as well have fun now. And excuse me, but are you allowed to speak to your customers like that?"

Michael was about to respond when Samantha sat back on the chair. Michael looked at Tom and gave him a very professional "Let me know if you need anything." Instead Tom winked at him and responded "Thanks babe." Michael smiled and avoided looking at Sam before walking over to the kitchen where Nate was standing by the door.

“Looks like it’s not going so bad is it?”

Michael looked back at the table to see Tom smiling at him and looked back at Nate. “Yeah, not as bad as I thought.”

Nate smiled and went to his table. Michael took the food for another table when he noticed Tom raising his hand.

 

 

He walked over to their table. “Hey sweetheart.” Sam looked up thinking he was talking her and Michael would have taken a picture of her face when she realized he was talking to him. “Can you toast this bread a little more? It’s too soft for my taste, I like them hard.”

Tom could not have been any more obvious with that last bit and Samantha choking on her food proved it. Michael winked at Tom and smiled.

“Sure thing hun.” He wasn't much of a "cutesie nickname" type of guy and he could tell Tom was the same, but he thought he deserved one night of messing with Sam. They spent the rest of the night teasing and Samantha was obviously uncomfortable. By the end of the date Samantha was clearly annoyed and Michael tried to hide his joy. As they were walking out Tom handed Michael the check and gave him a wink. “Thanks for the superb job. Really made my night.”

Michael smiled and Sam rolled her eyes. "By the way, could you take a picture of us?" He gave Samantha his phone and posed with Tom who put his arm around him. Samantha looked like she was about to kill them and Michael wouldn't even be surprised if the picture was blurry or had her finger covering everything. He thanked Tom and told him goodnight. Tom smiled at him and walked out of the door.

 

 

The restaurant was pretty empty but the manager had asked them to close today so they had to stay. Max, Nate and Michael were sitting on the stools talking about anything and everything when Nate asked Michael how his table went.

“The Tom table?” Max asked. “He comes here a lot. Almost always with a different person. Tonight it looked like you were his date though."

Michael smiled and shrugged. “Came with my ex-girlfriend today.”

“Oh” Max winced and nodded his head. “Wow yeah sorry didn’t know that. Do you still like her?”

Michael shook his head. “I was still a bit hung up on her yeah, but not because I still liked her or anything, we just never really got a proper ending. She found out I was bi and directly stopped talking to me.”

Max shook his head and whispered “idiot” under his breath.

“It’s not that bad though, really.” Michael said. “Seeing her tonight and having Tom make her night miserable was entertaining and gave me the closure I needed. Worked out perfectly.

“Well then” Nate slammed his hand on the bar. “Cheers to Michael for getting over Samantha.” Michael and Max laughed and raised their glasses. “Cheers!” they all shouted. They drank and Max went to his table to clear them up so they can close the restaurant and leave for the night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4

It was Friday again and Michael knew Tom would be coming in again tonight. After what happened last week Michael had grown even fonder of the hockey player and wanted to properly thank him. He was waiting his only table when he sees Tom walk in alone. He sits down and Michael goes to set the other table's order before going. Tom sees Michael and smiles. Before Michael can go to his table Nate comes up from behind him. "No girl? Maybe you're his date tonight." And with a wink leaves. Michael just goes to the table and smiles.   
"How are you doing tonight?"   
"Pretty well, you?"   
Michael nods. "Everything's fine, pretty slow for a Friday. No date tonight?"   
Tom checks his phone. "She said she'd meet me here 10 minutes ago. I called her but she isn't answering. Guess I’ll just wait a bit more. Can I have a water for now?"   
"Sure thing. And I just wanted to thank you for last week. It really gave me the closure I needed."   
Tom nodded his head and smiled. "No problem, thanks for being a great waiter."

 

Michael came back with the water and found Tom nervously tapping his finger against the table and checking his phone every 3 seconds. He decides not to say anything and leaves the water silently. He watches Tom from the counter and sees him growing more anxious. Michael fears that Tom is being stood up and isn't exactly sure of what to do in a situation like this. He walks up to him and asks him if he'd like anything and Tom just sighs. "I've never been stood up before." Michael really wishes he would have just asked for some bread sticks or more water. "I'm sorry, maybe something just happened? Had her phone stolen or something?" Michael didn't actually believe what he was saying but he didn't know what to do either.   
"I guess. I don't know. Whatever I think I’m done. I'm gonna go to a bar." Tom sounded unsure and annoyed, obviously never having experienced this and not enjoying it at all. Michael felt just as lost so he simply nodded his head and wished him goodnight. He gave the other table their check and waited for them to call him back. Tom waited five more minutes before getting up and then went into the bathroom. By the time he came out the family had left and Michael was sitting at the counter alone, making jokes to Nate and Max as they walked by.

 

"Do you want to come to the bar with me?" Michael looked up to see Tom looking very anxious and certain. Michael didn't really know what to respond or think, his mind literally going blank, so he just blurted out a "sure" before even realizing what he said.   
"Awesome, when do you get out?" Tom's shoulders went down and Michael realized he must have been relieved, as if he were afraid Michael would say no. He looks over to Nate who was smiling at him from a table and looks back at Tom. "Let me go ask my manager." He feels bad asking to leave early when he's only been working a month and is still the new kid, but he has no tables and the restaurant is empty enough that Max and Nate don't even need his help. The manager realizes the same thing and let's Michael leave without a problem.   
"I get out now." Michael smiles at Tom when he gets out of the kitchen.   
"Great! Let's go. I know a really cool bar nearby that has awesome burgers and even better beer."   
Michael follows Tom out the door and looks back at Nate who won't stop staring at him with the biggest smile Michael has ever seen on him, and that's saying a lot. He knows he won't be able to avoid talking about this when he gets back to the dorm.

 

They walk a couple blocks, Tom telling Michael how great the burgers are and trying to remember how many people he picked up there. Michael just walked along in silence, listening to Tom go on and on. A couple of minutes ago Tom had been annoyed and closed off, now he sounded a bit more relaxed and even happy, Michael didn't want to say anything that would stop that. He just walked along and enjoyed the moment. When they reached the bar it was completely packed. Michael was about to get in the line when he suddenly remembered who Tom Wilson was, and followed Tom straight into the room. There were tables all around the perimeter of the place, with a crowded dance floor in the middle. They sat at a table and both ordered the burger Tom wouldn't stop talking about.   
"Hey um, thanks for coming." Tom said as he put down the menu.   
"No problem man, at all, thanks for inviting me."   
Tom smiled and shrugged. "You're cool. I mean at least I think you're cool, and I wanted to confirm that you are cool."   
Michael laughed and nodded. "I promise you I’m cool."  
"Good, and like you sure you’re ok with this right? I don't want you to feel weird or forced to be here because I’m your client or anything."  
"Tom, I’m happy to be here."   
"Cool cool. I've had more fun with you than with any of my actual dates lately, plus you saved me today. You're always there. Thought it was time to get to know you out of the restaurant." Tom smiled.   
They talked more about Michael than he has ever talked about with anyone in one sitting, basically telling Tom his life story. They talked about growing up wanting to play hockey, his struggles with school, past girlfriends, the moment he realized he also liked guys, how he's doing at AU and even Nate.   
"He's honestly the worst roommate anyone could ever have." They both laughed as they drank their third glass of beer. By the time the burgers came they were already on their fifth beer and visibly drunk. Tom told Michael everything about living with Andre Burakovsky and how much he uses his name to get his way, anything from skipping a line to picking up girls. He talked about how much he missed his family and how he sometimes felt alone in DC. He went out with different people all the time but never found someone he actually connected with.   
"No one ever passes the second date. By the time the next Friday comes around I always have someone new. I kinda wish I had what you have with Nate."   
Michael choked on his beer. "Wait, what? You don’t think Nate and I are together, do you?"   
"You're not?" Tom asked.  
Michael burst out laughing. "Nooo, God no. You literally just heard me complain about him for 24 minutes straight, what makes you think we're together?"  
Tom shrugged. "The way you just complained about him for 24 minutes straight." He smiled. "But also the way you always look at each other at the restaurant, it's like you have secret conversations with your stare. Plus you're always laughing and whispering, I guess I just assumed."  
"No, no, no. He’s my best friend and we do live together so we get each other really well. Sometimes we really do have conversations at the restaurants with our stares but I can assure you that there is nothing between us. If anything he's convinced I have a crush on you." Michael wasn’t sure why he added that but he was pretty sure it has something to do with the beers.   
"Does he now?" Tom asked with a smirk.   
"Yes he does and I’m sorry I even said that, I didn’t mean to." Michael is shaking his head and hiding his face in his hands.   
"Dude it's cool don't worry. From the way my last date went Samantha probably thinks I have a crush on you too." They both laughed and Tom stood up to go to the bathroom.   
Michael sat at the table and a million thoughts went through his head. He was positive that at this point he totally did have a crush on Tom. He thought he saw Tom blush when he admitted Nate’s suspicion but he wasn't really sure. What was this anyway? Were they just hanging out to help Tom forget about being stood up? Would Tom have asked to hang out with him even if he hadn't been stood up? Or was maybe this a date? Michael remembered how well Tom acted being interested in him in front of Sam and now he was convinced that Tom _had_ blushed when Michael told him about the crush. And Tom had just sat here for an hour and a half listening to Michael's life story, following every detail. Michael started to get excited about being on a date with Tom Wilson and how well it was going when it all went crashing down. From his table he saw Tom talking with a girl, his hand going up her leg quickly. She giggled as he whispered something in her ear and Michael almost fell from the chair when he got up. He hadn't paid for his food yet and he knew if he left it would all go on Tom’s tab, but Michael was so confused and hurt he didn’t even care. He walked out of the bar and went back to his dorm. 

 

  
"So, how'd it go?" Nate sat up excitedly in his bed and asked before Michael could even get the key out of the lock.   
"Don't want to talk about it." Michael fell on his bed face down and fell asleep without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter up soon :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super long wait but I just started my college classes and I've been super busy. I saw a lot of comments on the last chapter and I really loved it! It's good to see someone is actually reading my stories lol. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it and I will try to post as often as I can.

Michael had been dreading Friday all week. After ditching Tom at the bar and leaving the whole tab on him, Michael was worried Tom would be pissed at him and yell at him at his job. He didn’t show up during the week but he hadn't missed a Friday since Michael started working here, and Michael didn't think this Friday would be any different. He was putting in the order for one of his tables when a big family walked in, Michael only had one open table left in his area so he was hoping the family would take it so Tom would have to sit somewhere else when he got there. However as if someone had heard his thoughts and wanted to play a trick on him, the family left to get something from the car and in walked in Tom. He, of course, sat in Michael’s last empty table and the family was sent to the other side of the restaurant.

This time Tom was with a guy. He was tall and skinny but he was definitely toned. He looked like your stereotypical elite frat boy. Michael didn't know what to do. He was about to hide in the kitchen when he made eye contact with Tom who raised his hand. Michael had no choice but to go and face Tom and his date.

He walked over and very politely introduced himself.   
"Good night, my name is Michael and I’ll be serving you tonight. What can I do for you?"   
Tom looked up and smiled. "What's up? I'll have a water to start."  
His date turned to Michael "And I’ll have a Diet Coke, thank you."   
Michael nodded his head and walked back to the kitchen. He was picking up the drinks when Nate stood beside him. "You never did tell me what happened last week when you went out with Tom."  
Michael shrugged. "Nothing happened. We went to a bar, we talked, he picked up and I came back home."   
Nate gave him a disbelieving look. "Still doesn't explain your attitude after but ok. I'll get it out of you later."   
Michael rolled his eyes and went back to the table.

He took their order and was surprised Tom wasn't angry at all. When he brought them the bread Tom spoke up.   
"Isn't he a great waiter?" He spoke to his date but looked at Michael smiling.   
His date nodded his head. "Very efficient."   
"I come here all the time and he's always been awesome. Last week I was supposed to be on a date with someone and she stood me up, he cheered me up and he even went with me to the bar we met at. You see I only give you the best things, including the best waiters." Tom smiled to his date and turned to wink to Michael.   
"Yeah I actually thought you'd be pissed at me for leaving that night." Michael finally confessed.   
Tom shook his head. "Nah man, I assumed you just picked up and had to go. It's all cool. I met Josh there after you left and we've been talking ever since."   
"Thanks for that by the way." Josh finally spoke up. "I saw Tom when he walked in with you but I assumed you guys had been on a date. When Tom and I started talking I actually felt kind of uncomfortable that he was cheating on you in plain sight but when he told me you were just friends we ended up hitting if off great."  
The way Tom was looking at him made Michael realize he should probably leave them alone. He never saw Tom try with a date as much as now. He was flirting and trying to impress him, and looked genuinely interested.   
"Well I’m glad that I could have helped, and I’m glad that night turned out all right." Michael smiled to Tom.  
"Of course man, and I think we owe a big thank you to Taylor for standing me up also." Tom raised his glass. "To Taylor!"   
"To Taylor" Josh smiled and raised his glass also. Michael laughed and added a "to Taylor indeed" before heading back to the kitchen. 

He left them alone for the rest of the night. He would check on them every now and then and Tom was always laughing or smiling, he never called Michael over or tried to escape to the bathroom. Michael noticed that Josh seemed interested too. He was a lot more reserved than Tom, but he would still smile shyly a lot and he couldn't keep his eyes off of Tom. They talked for the whole night, all of Michael's tables had already left and there were only two other tables left. The restaurant was closing soon but Michael didn't want to interrupt them. 20 minutes later passed and both the other tables had been cleared, Tom’s was the only one left. The rest of the staff started cleaning and closing up when Tom finally asked for the check. When Michael came back with Tom’s change the table was already empty. He didn’t mind that much because it meant he left him a big tip again, but a part of him was disappointed. He knew that he and Tom weren't really friends, they talked a lot last week but that was a special occasion, Michael was just a waiter and Tom was his client, but he felt weird for some reason. 

When they finally closed up, he and Nate decided to walk back to the dorm since Max wasn’t working that day. They were taking a shortcut through the park and talking about their tables when Nate points to the front. "Isn't that Tom Wilson? Look at that, I never had him as the romantic type."   
Michael looked at where Nate pointed and indeed saw Tom. He was with Josh sitting in the gazebo in the middle of the park. Tom had his arm around Josh and they couldn't stop laughing. Tom pushed his hair out of his face and leaned in to kiss Josh. It was so gentle and loving, as if it were their first kiss. Michael almost felt like he was intruding seeing it, even though he wasn't even close. He turned to Nate who just raised his eyebrows. "They make a cute couple."   
Michael nodded his head. "Seeing Tom every day with a different girl doesn't really give you the 'loving boyfriend' impression."   
They walked back to the dorm and Michael fell on his bed from exhaustion. 

"So, what happened between you and Tom last week? I saw you guys talking today but I didn't have Max to overhear and tell me." Nate said as soon as he closed the door.  
Michael groaned. "Dude I’m so tired."  
Nate just smiled. "I can keep you from falling asleep you know. The faster you talk the faster I let you sleep."  
Michael groaned again and put the pillow over his head. Nate was right. He was very loud and obnoxious when he wanted to keep Michael up, Michael knew he didn't stand a chance. He sat up and told Nate everything. "Nothing happened man. We went to the bar and talked a lot. It kinda felt like a date to be honest, which was the issue. We talked about ourselves and really got to know each other, I don't remember opening so much to someone since we first moved in together. He told me all about his life getting to the NHL, what it's like being one of youngest on the Washington Capitals and even what it's like living with Andre Burakovsky. He told me about his family and how he really missed them, like how he feels alone here sometimes you know? We opened up so much and got along so great that I got carried away and started to think that maybe we were on a date. He told me that he thought you and I were dating and when I told him no he actually looked relieved. I must have been looking too much into it though because he said he was going to the bathroom and when he was coming back he started flirting with a girl. I felt like an idiot and left."   
Nate listened intently the whole time. When Michael finished he gave him a serious look and said “He thought you and I were dating?" before bursting out laughing.  
Michael shook his head and smiled. "Out of everything I said that's the only thing you got?"   
Nate shrugged and kept on smirking. "I just can't imagine us going out, or why he would even think that."   
Michael just kept on shaking his head. "You're ridiculous Nate. Do you want me to finish or not?"  
Nate put his hands up in surrender. "Please continue."  
Michael nodded his head at his victory. "Today I was terrified that he would yell at me for leaving him to pay the check at the bar but he didn't even care. Apparently when I left he met this guy and they've been talking all week. That's it."  
Nate looked at him. "That and you have a crush on him."   
Michael glared at him. "What are you saying?"  
Nate rolled his eyes. “I’m saying you finally came to terms with your feelings for him, because that is the only reason you would be acting this way over Tom flirting with the girl at the bar or coming in with the guy tonight."  
"I wasn't mad because I like him. I told you that I just looked too much into it and thought it was a date, then I left when I realized it wasn't."  
Nate raised his eyebrows. "So why did you leave? If you don't have any feelings for him why did you leave when you realized it wasn't a date? Were you disappointed it wasn't a date? Did it make you jealous to see Tom with someone else when you got your hopes up?"  
"Fuck off." Michael threw a pillow at Nate and turned his back to him. He went under the covers and turned the lights off.   
"Good night to you Mikey." 

The next morning Michael and Nate completely ignored the words "Tom" and "crush". They talked about hockey, the restaurant, their classes and just about anything else. They went to class and met back lounge for lunch.   
"I like Tom." Michael set his tray on the table and looked at Nate.   
"Well hello to you too. I did great on my test today thanks for asking! How are you doing Michael?"   
"Stop being an asshole you fucker."   
"I see not in a good mood, I understand."  
Michael stood up to leave when Nate called him back laughing.   
"Ok ok truce I’m sorry man but c'mon you make this dramatic moment out of what _I_ have been telling you for over a month. Meanwhile I actually passed my test and that is the true shocker here."   
Michael rolls his eyes and gives Nate a muffin from his tray. "Congrats on passing Basic Algebra chapter 1 bro."   
Nate hits Michael on the shoulder. "You're a dick."  
"And you love me." Michael smiles.  
"Yeah but not as much as you love Tom."   
Michael slouches as soon as he hears that. "What do I do?"   
Nate shrugs. "You deal with it for now. You and Tom aren't close enough for you to be able to do something, but you guys are also close enough where it hurts you. For now you just deal with it. You and Tom are slowly becoming friends outside of the restaurant setting, you can see how it goes there. For now just be professional with him and try to distract yourself."  
Michael sighed and put his head on the table. "This sucks."   
Nate put his hand on Michael’s shoulder. "C'mon don't worry. You're the first to know that just because he's on a date tonight it doesn't mean he's automatically taken. You're probably the steadiest thing he has to be honest."   
Michael nodded his head and looked up. "The day he comes back with the same person I’m screwed."

The next Friday Tom came back to the restaurant with Josh.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLOOOOOO  
> I'm alive and incredibly sorry! I thought I was going to be able to handle college and fics but then I joined one school organization and another and another and next thing I knew I barely had time to sleep. I worked a lot this weekend so this morning I found myself sitting with nothing to do and decided to resurrect and add a chapter. Hopefully you guys enjoy it and i'll be able to continue more often. Thank you to everyone who messaged me/commented wanting more, I promise I would never leave it unfinished.

Michael had never seen Tom happier, and he had never been more depressed. He didn’t know why Tom had suddenly gained so much power over him but he hit him hard, and Michael couldn't stop thinking about him. Sure, he had thought he was attractive before he even met him, but getting to know him personally was so different. From his social media you would think Tom is a careless playboy, and his reputation around the restaurant didn't help, but he was actually so much more. Tom told Michael how he didn't date all these people just to play around, he just could never connect to anyone. Tom had been very lonely since he moved to Washington DC and he really felt like he needed at least one person he could count on whenever he needed someone, since he couldn't find someone permanent, he looked around until he did. He didn’t really have any real friends and he didn't blend in with the team either. They were all really nice to him but they were all older men with girlfriends and wives, and even Andre who was younger than Tom would hang out more with the adults than Tom. He really needed someone he could just be with. Michael felt that when he and Tom spent hours talking at the bar they had really connected, the way they kept on speaking without getting bored was special. He felt that he could be the person Tom was looking for, and Tom definitely made Michael happy, but apparently Tom thought otherwise.  
Michael slumped all week, Nate tried to cheer him up but Michael was a lost cause. Ever since Tom came back with Josh he was a different person. He was happy and energetic, but he was also different to Michael. He started to make distance between them, treating him more like a waiter and not saying as much jokes around him. Eventually Tom even sat at another section of the restaurant, making Nate their waiter. Michael realized that Tom probably didn’t purposely avoid him, but he had been so used to Tom specifically going out of his way to be in his section that the idea of Tom not even caring anymore kind of hurt him. 

Michael would constantly look at the table and see Tom and Josh laughing or deep in conversation and he wanted nothing more than to know what Josh could talk about that he couldn't. He was waiting at the bar for one of his table's food when Nate came to stand next to him.   
"So Josh just invited us to the Omega Chi party tonight if you want to go."  
Michael turned to face Nate. "Both of us?"   
Nate nodded. "He said you and Michael. You being me, Michael being you."   
"Tom seemed okay with it?"   
"His exacts words were 'Hell yeah I better see you two there.' So I'm taking it as a yes. C'mon Mike it's a frat party. It's your perfect chance to get drunk and hook up with someone and never see them again. It will help you get over Tom."  
Michael gave him an annoyed look. "I don't need to get over anyone. Nothing has happened for me to need to get over."   
Nate rolled his eyes. "Fine, then it's the perfect chance for you to get drunk and be an asshole to someone else." He picked up his tray and walked away.   
Michael knew that he was being extra bitchy and Nate didn't deserve it but he couldn't help being so annoyed. He would just have to buy Nate some beer later and admit he's the best roommate in the world or something like that. For as much as Michael complained about Nate to Tom he knew that he had gotten lucky to get Nate as a roommate. 

Once all the tables cleared up the only ones left were Tom and Josh. They had already paid and were about to walk out when Tom stopped in front of Michael.   
"Hey you're coming to the party right?"   
Michael nodded. "Yeah yeah, Charles and Freddie are closing so as soon as we clean up our tables Nate and I are free to go."   
"Great!" Tom smiled. "See you there." Josh smiled, put his hand on the small of Tom's back and led him out of the restaurant. 

Michael and Nate reached the party around an hour later and it was already crazy. They could barely walk through the front door and Nate almost died after someone jumping from the second floor missed him by an inch. "I need beer." Was all he said and he walked away. Michael walked around until a girl came up to him.   
"You're Michael right?" He turned to her and nodded.   
"I'm Danica hi, I'm in your Macro class and thought you could use a drink." She held up an extra cup with her hand.   
"You thought I could use a drink in Macro?" He said smirking. "That is very true, maybe then I'll understand what's going on."   
Danica laughed and handed him the cup. "Really? I thought that class has been pretty easy up to now."   
Michael raised his eyebrows. "Then maybe you should tutor me instead of trying to get me drunk at 11 in the morning."  
She shurgged and smiled. "Whenever you'd like, I would love to help."  
Michael really liked her. She was pretty and obviously smart and she seemed to either be interested in him or nice enough to see him awkwardly alone and talk to him, or maybe even both. He offered to go sit on one of the couches in the backyard when he realized he really had to pee. "Why don't you go find us a free couch and I'll meet you up outside."   
Danica nodded and walked away as Mike tried to find the bathroom. 

When he opened the door he found Tom throwing up into the toilet.   
"Oh god are you okay man?" He ran to Tom's side and squatted to be at his height. Tom just nodded.   
"Mikeeeeey! It's so good to see you!"   
Michael laughed. "Dude what happened? Where's Josh?"   
"I'm fine! I barely even threw up, I just came here to be close to the toilet if I need to."   
Michael kept on laughing and shook his head. "What are you going to do? Wait here until you throw up? Are you going to spend the whole party here?"   
Tom shrugged. "Everyone knows me out there. They all have phones and cameras, I really wouldn't like to throw up in front of everyone and then for the video of 'Tom Wilson wasted at a frat party' to spread around. Want to keep me company?"   
Michael understood Tom's worry but the excitement that Michael secretly felt about sitting next to a toilet waiting for Tom to throw up made him realize that it was in his best interest to just go with Danica. "I was actually talking with someone and just came here to pee. Where's Josh?"   
Tom's face fell and Michael tried not to let that kill him. "He's hazing some of the pledges. I think I'm going to head home, Backy wanted to have lunch with me tomorrow to make sure I'm not dying and I think not showing up wouldn't give him a good idea."   
Michael nodded his head silently.   
Tom tried to get up but fell horribly making Michael burst out laughing.   
Tom pouted and reached out his hand. "A little help please?" Michael knew this was a mistake but couldn't help but hug Tom and try to lift him up. Unfortunately he didn't take Tom's weight into consideration because they both fell onto the bathroom floor. Phones, wallets and keys went everywhere and Michael's elbow hit the edge toilet of the toilet.   
"FUCK" He held his elbow with the other arm and squirmed when he tried to move it.   
"Oh my god I am so sorry." With the pain from his elbow Michael had forgetting Tom was even there for a second. He looked down and realized that Michael was practically laying on Tom and if he didn't hurt anything else it was because Tom had broken his fall. He was surprised Tom wasn't the one screaming in pain. He looked at Tom and Tom had his eyes completely locked on his. Michael thought he had never seen bluer eyes. At that he tried to shake the thought out of his head and get up, at this point Danica had probably left thinking Michael had tried to get rid of her.   
"No, no it's fine. How are you? I basically fell on top of you."   
Tom smiled. "I'm a hockey player, I'm pretty used to this. I'm more worried about your elbow."   
Michael furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey I play hockey too you know!"   
Tom laughed. "Water boy doesn't count."   
Michael hit him and tried to get up but ended up falling again, this time Tom wrapped his arm around his waist. "Looks like we're going to have to stay here. I'm too drunk to get up and you're just a mess in general."   
"I'm here trying to help you while I have a perfectly hot and smart girl waiting for me and you're doing nothing except insult me!" Michael taunted back.   
Tom smiled and kept his eyes on Michael's. "Okay okay, you're a hot mess. But the good meaning of hot mess. Like you have a great body and incredible eyes and awesome hair but you're also a mess."   
Michael didn't know what to do. He was sure that if he had had one more sip of beer he would probably kissed Tom, which is probably why Tom started to lean in. Michael knew he wanted this, but he also knew that Tom was going out with Josh and would probably regret this when he sobered up and that would hurt Michael more. He moved away and instead just tried to quickly get his phone and wallet from the floor. "Let's get you up Tom."   
Tom seemed to be visibly disappointed but didn't say anything. Michael pulled Tom up and this time they were both able to stand up. Tom leaned against the sink and Michael told him to wait while he got him some water. Tom just nodded silently. Michael came back with a water bottle and gave it to Tom who thanked him without looking into his eyes.   
"Umm will you be okay or do you want some help?" Michael put his hands in his pocket not knowing what to do.   
Tom just looked at him and Michael quickly added. "I can look for Josh if you want, I'm sure he'll help you get home."   
Tom shook his head. "I'm fine thanks. See you around Mike."   
Michael just nodded his head awkwardly and gave him a quick goodbye before walking out of the bathroom. 

When he reached the backyard he realized that he hadn't actually peed yet. He was about to turn back when he spotted Danica sitting on one of the couches. Michael couldn't help but admire how pretty she was, and under the moonlight it was as if she glowed. He was surprised that someone hadn't come up to her already and realized that if he went to pee someone might. Instead he grabbed two beers from a cooler and went to sit next to her.   
"I'm alive and bring beer!" Danica looked up from her phone and smiled.   
"I was about to think you had left me. A guy came up to me a couple of minutes ago and I told him that I was going to give you 10 more minutes, so you came right on time."   
Michael laughed and nodded his head. "Well I'm glad you waited. When I went to the bathroom I found a friend of mine completely drunk and I had to help him or else he would have probably died."   
Danica smiled and leaned in closer to Michael. "Cute and cares about his friends, I'm glad I waited those 10 minutes also."   
At that Michael smiled and leaned in also, closing the space between them and grabbing her face as he kissed her. They kissed for a while before Michael pulled back to breathe. Danica smiled and put her hair behind her ear. Michael pulled out his phone and gave it to Danica. "Here, save your number in here and text yourself so you have my number also."   
Danica happily obliged. While she was typing in Michael's phone Michael saw Tom walk out of the house asking if anyone had seen Josh. Tom turned around and faced Michael who looked at him before Danica put his phone on his lap and grabbed his face to kiss him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me at capsroomies.tumblr.com :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So quick story time! I got my best friend into hockey and subsequently Wilso/Latts so she started to read Wilso/Latts fics when she messages me about how cheesy a story she was reading was (rude). I ask her which fic it was and she ends up sending me mine, completely unaware. We both freak out and she starts reading all of my stories. When she got to What Can I Do For You Tonight she spammed my phone freaking out because I didn't finish it. For weeks she never stopped bothering me so, thanks to her, you all got the next chapter now instead of at the end of the semester. I hope you all enjoy it and I hope she likes it too <3 
> 
> PS: Also sorry for the sudden pov change at the end. I couldn't figure out another way to have it happen so abrupt pov change it was!

Michael woke up in Danica's bed the next morning to a phone that wouldn't stop ringing. Danica groaned and told him to turn it off but since Michael didn't recognize the ringtone he had assumed it had been her phone the whole time. When he leaned over to get it he saw that it had been his phone after all, except it wasn't his phone. He didn't remember saving Alex Ovechkin's number in his phone, let alone think of a reason that he and Barry Trotz would leave 6 voice messages asking where he was along with some other adult words. To be fair Mike was pretty hungover and he had just woken up so it took him a second to realize that no, he indeed did not play for the Washington Capitals. Mike remembered trying to pick Tom up from the floor and how they dropped their phones and wallets when they both fell, he also remembers how they almost kissed after but he tried not to think about that. He looked at the phone in his hand and realized that he and Tom have the same phone case which is why he hasn't noticed that they switched phones up to now. Plus after he gave Danica the phone to put in her number they made out at the party for a while and then came back to her room, he hadn't checked his phone once. Andre Burakovsky was calling the phone now and Michael realized that if he didn't warn them that Tom didn't have the phone they weren't going to stop.  

"Hello-" 

"Tom??? God you are so hungover you don't even sound like normal. Where are you? Barry is about to kill you." Andre spoke so fast that Michael didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence. 

"Um actually this is Michael Latta. I was at a party with Tom last night and we must have switched phones by accident sorry." 

There was a pause before Andre responded. "Michael? Like Michael from the restaurant that Tom goes to all the time Michael?" 

Michael was surprised that Andre knew who he was, the thought of Tom talking about him to Andre would have made him excited if he wasn't in Danica's bed right now. "Um yeah that's me." 

"Did Tom and Josh break up?" 

"No" 

"Oh" 

Another long pause. "Nothing happened between Tom and I, we just fell." 

"It's okay I didn't think anything wrong. Could you give me your number though so I can call Tom?" 

"Yeah sure, 202-867-5301" 

"Cool thank you"  

Andre hung up and Michael was left looking at the phone in his hand trying to figure out what just happened. His head was thinking three hundred things at once though and couldn't decide on whether to concentrate on Tom being too hungover to even attend practice, getting his phone back, or the fact that Tom talked to his roommate about him. He didn't have that much of a chance to decide however because at that moment Danica turned to face Michael wide awake. 

"So who is this Tom that nothing happened with and should I be kicking you out right now?" 

Michael smiled. "Tom Wilson is a hockey player for the Washington Capitals who comes to my restaurant a lot. He's the guy I told you I helped in the bathroom last night. We fell and I guess we must have mixed up phones. You can kick me out if you want to but I would be very disappointed. I was hoping I could take you out on a date?" 

Danica gave him a look as she pretended to think about it. "I have a chapter meeting now so I have to go take a shower and leave, but if I decide to believe you I'll text you after." She smiled. 

Michael leaned in and kissed her. "Hopefully that will help you think clearly." He winked and started to get dressed before walking out of the room.  

 

 

He walked into his dorm and found Nate watching Netflix on his bed. "Eyyyyy you're alive! You disappeared after the guy jumping from the second floor and I was worried someone else fell on you." 

Nate looked up from the screen and laughed. "Hey man I'm not the one that didn't come home last night." 

Mike nodded his head in defeat and fell on the bed. "I met a girl." 

That caught Nate's attention. "Elaborate." 

Mike smiled. "She recognized me from our Macro class and came up to me with beer. We went back to her dorm and had a great night." 

"That's awesome man! When are you going to see her again?" 

"She had to go to a chapter meeting but she said she would text me after." 

Nate reached from his bed and fist bumped Mike. "Good for you man. This is exactly what you needed to help you forget about Tom." 

At that Mike realized that he had completely forgotten about what happened with Tom last night and the conversation he had this morning. "Dude now that you mention it, guess who I talked on the phone with this morning?" 

"Who?" Nate asked.

"Andre Burakovsky!" 

Nate's eyes grow even bigger and stutters. "What, how? Why? I'm so confused." 

Michael smiles and takes out Tom's phone. "I ran into Tom Wilson at the party last night and we fell. We must have accidentally switched phones because this morning I woke up to a bunch of missed calls from Ovechkin and Barry Trotz. I answered the phone when I saw it was Burakovsky and yeah. He knew who I was which was the strange part. When I explained what happened he asked me if I was Michael Latta from the restaurant Tom always goes to." 

At that Nate raised his eyebrows. "So Tom talked about you to his roommate?" 

Mike shrugged. "I don't want to look too much into it. I'm just going to text my phone to ask Tom when he wants to meet up to switch back and then that's it. He's with Josh and I'm going to try with Danica." 

Nate silently nodded his head and added a "good luck" to Michael before laying back down to continue watching House of Cards.

_Hey this is Michael Latta from Nostra Famiglia Italiana. If you spoke with Andre you probably already know that we must have switched phones. Text me when/where you want to meet up to switch back!_

Michael texted Tom and opened up Netflix on his own computer while he waited for a response.  

 

 

Tom must have either made it to practice or still be hungover because he hadn't responded Michael's text after a couple of hours. Michael and Nate were having a late lunch at the dining hall when Tom's phone finally rang. Michael checked to see if Tom had responded but saw a text from a random number instead. 

_Hi Tom, name is Sam. I'm sorry to bother you but would you mind calling me when you can? I need to talk to you about Josh._

Michael looked at the phone and gave it to Nate. "What do I do?" 

Nate read the message and shook his head. "Don't do anything. Tom isn't answering you anyway so he probably wouldn't have answered this guy either. Just leave it and let Tom figure it out when he gets the phone."

Michael nodded his head and put the phone down, continuing to eat his lunch in silence.

 

 

Tom had finally answered after a couple of hours and told Michael he would drive up to Michael’s campus. Mike was watching another episode of House of Cards when Tom texted him that he was down stairs. He went down to lobby and Tom smiled as held up his phone. “Nice phone case.”

Michael laughed. “Same to you, good taste.” He handed Tom his phone and Tom gave me him his.

“Thanks, and I’m so sorry about last night. It’s all my fault really, if I hadn’t been so drunk none of this would have happened.” Tom said looking at the floor.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Are you okay? I got a hundred calls today saying you were late to practice.”

Tom nodded his head. “Yeah I was just really hungover and since I didn’t have my phone, I didn’t have any of my alarms to wake me up. But once Andre called me I rushed to practice and barely made it. Thankfully I wasn’t late enough that I’m going to be benched tomorrow but I did get a nice yell from Trotz.”

“Well I’m glad you won’t be getting benched. I’ll keep an eye out for you tomorrow when I’m watching the game.”

Tom smiled and it seemed as if his whole face lit up. “I’ll try to score a goal just for you. And now that I drove all the way up here why don’t you give me a tour of the campus. I’ll buy you coffee.”

Michael raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Yeah sure, the tour will have to start in my dorm though because, while I’m glad you didn’t notice, I’m kind of not wearing shoes.”

Tom looked down and saw that he was indeed barefoot. He laughed and told Michael to lead the way.

 

 

“I kind of thought you would give me my phone and leave so I didn’t bother putting on shoes thinking I was coming back up to keep on watching House of Cards." Michael explained as he tried to find the other pair to his sneakers.

"It's totally fine don't worry about it. And dude I love House of Cards! I haven't been able to start the new season though, have you?"

"Yeah and don't worry I won't give any spoilers, but damn it's good."

"If you don't mind rewatching, why don't we come back here after the tour and watch the new season together?"

Michael looked up from tying his shoes to see Tom giving him a huge smile. "It's House of Cards, how can anyone mind rewatching it."

Tom's face lit up and looked around the room. "Great! I'll order pizza since I don't see much food around here."

Michael followed Tom's gaze and shook his head. "Yeah Nate and I usually either eat the dining hall or the restaurant. But oh well, you ready to go?"

He stood up from the bed and Tom excitedly nodded his head before following him out the door.

 

 

"So that was Anderson Hall which is home to my incredible dorm." Michael spoke as they left the building. "Next up is the McKinley Building, which is basically my second home. The School of Communication is there so as a Journalism major whatever time I don't spend in my dorm, it's usually there."

"So why Journalism?" Tom asks as he holds the door open for Michael.

"I grew up watching hockey and always wanted to have hockey be a part of my life. When my parents told me they wanted me to go to college I decided that being a sports journalist would be a nice back up. Getting paid to analyze and talk about hockey would be great considering I do it all the time already."

"Have you ever considered applying to Monumental Network? I could probably help you get a job or internship if you want!" Tom offered.

"I've considered it, applied to it and never heard back." Michael responded. "But it's fine, between my job and classes it would probably be too much anyway. And speaking of classes, this is where I have my Introduction to News Writing lecture."

Michael showed Tom the room and then led him upstairs. "Now I'm going to show you my favorite place on campus. I come here whenever I need to be alone, or when I need to study, or any time really." He opened the door to a beautiful terrace that overlooked the campus and allowed Tom and Michael to see the beautiful sunset.

"This place is breathtaking." Tom gasped.

"Isn't it?" Michael stood in silence for a couple seconds, looking at the campus below him before turning to see Tom looking at him and quickly looking away.

"So, should we continue the tour?"

"Let's go." Tom responded.

 

 

They walked most of the campus before Tom offered to buy some coffee so they could stay awake when watching House of Cards. They were sitting and talking about the Capitals' latest games when Tom's phone started to ring.

"Do you know this number?" Tom asked, showing Michael his phone.

"Oh yeah I forgot to tell you that they texted you this morning. His name is Sam and he wanted to talk to you about Josh I think."

At that Tom went grim and he looked at his phone for a couple seconds before answering.

"Hello?

Michael heard the other person ask if this was Tom Wilson and if he was dating Josh Rolen before Tom excused himself from the table and went to talk outside. Mike sat the table watching Tom's face getting darker and darker as he spoke and he didn't know what to do. When Tom finally hung up he came back and sat in silence.

"Is everything okay? Are you okay?" Michael asked.

Tom shook his head and sighed. "Josh cheated on me. The guy was the one who called. He said that Josh was super drunk and apparently started crying after about how much he regretted cheating on me. The guy called to say that he wanted me to know that Josh never meant to cheat and it never happened again so I should believe him when he says it means nothing. Except Josh never said it meant nothing because Josh never said anything."

Michael played with the lid of his coffee and pursed him lips. "I'm really sorry man. Maybe he didn't tell you because it really did mean nothing to him? And he didn't want to risk losing you over this?"

Tom didn't look up. "If it didn't mean anything he should have told me and I would have at least been able to know who I'm dating. Now I have to find out through the other guy nonetheless and I’m left wondering if there isn't more to the story."

"I mean he told you himself that Josh cried about you after it happened, he probably didn't tell you just to avoid any problems. Do you want to go back to my dorm and talk about it there? There's a lot of people here."

Tom finally looked up and just nodded quietly.

 

 

They walked back in silence and Tom didn't say anything as he sat on Michael's bed. Michael connected his computer to the TV when Tom finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry about almost kissing you last night.”

Michael turned around and gulped, not saying a word.

“I didn’t know if I should pretend I forgot it happened or not but hearing about Josh made me realize I was doing the same thing. I was drunk and kind of annoyed that Josh left me alone, plus you’ve somehow always been there when I’ve needed someone and I got carried away. I know it didn’t mean anything to you so I hoped we could act like it never happened but I really don’t want you to think I’m a hypocrite. You’re the closest thing I’ve had to a real friend, and not one who is forced to be friends with me because we’re on the same team, since I’ve moved here. I don’t want you to think I was using you or I’m a douche who would cheat on Josh with the first person I see.” Tom spoke at a million words per hour and never even stopped to breathe.

“It’s okay.” Michael responded as he sat on Nate’s bed. He didn't know where Nate was but he was thankful he wasn't here. “I never thought anything wrong about you. Ever actually. I still can’t believe I told you at the bar but Nate always joked that I had a crush on you and he was kind of right. I’m not in love with you or anything but I do really like you. You’re a lot more than the websites and tweets say. I could tell you were drunk and alone last night and I knew you would never intentionally cheat on Josh which is why I didn’t bring it up either. You don’t have to worry about it. I love having you as a friend, and I mean you Tom, not Tom Wilson from the Washington Capitals. You’re a great guy and you’re way too hard on yourself.

Tom smiled from ear to ear and stood up to hug Michael. Michael met him half way and they quietly stood in the middle of the room in a tight hug.

“Thank you so much.” Tom whispered as he moved back. “For everything.”

Michael was inches away from Tom and he just nodded slowly before sitting back on Nate’s bed. “You don’t have to thank me, that’s what friends are for. I’m here for you no matter what you need.”

Tom smiled and plopped on Mike’s bed. "I'll order the pizza. What do you want on it?"

"I'm good with just cheese."

 

 

 

Tom ordered three extra-large pizzas and a liter of soda because according to him, an expired bag of chips is not the only food that should be in a college student’s dorm. Michael thanked Tom and confessed that it would all probably be gone by lunchtime tomorrow. They watched House of Cards and ate for hours. They gave their opinions and loudly gasped at the plot twists and didn't mention Josh or the almost-kiss once.

 

In the middle of an episode Tom's phone went off.

_Hey Mike! It's Danica, sorry to respond so late but our meeting went super long and then the girls wanted to plan for a philanthropy event we have coming up so I just got out. I did a lot of thinking and decided to believe you. I'd love to go on a date with you. Text me!_ _:*_

Tom looked at the phone and realized that Danica must have been the girl he saw at the party with Michael. She must have gotten the wrong number in the phone mix up. He looked at Michael who was completely hypnotized by an episode he had already watched, and was watching again for him.

"Everything alright? Michael asked when he finally noticed Tom staring at him.

Tom nodded. "Everything's great." He looked at Michael one more time before looking down and deleting Danica's text.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, bitches. I bet you thought you saw the last of me
> 
> I'm back from the dead to publish this chapter. Sorry for the delay, y'all already know the story; college is busy. But in the middle of my busiest week with sorority stuff, tests and papers all due I decided to write again so here you go! It's not incredible or a lot but it helps continue the story. Hope you guys enjoy it anyway!
> 
> Also Shana Tova all my fellow Tribe readers!

It had been a week since Tom visited Mike's dorm and they had been texting non-stop. Tom had a west coast swing so he was in California and Arizona for most of the week but he never missed a text, even with the time differences. Mike wasn't sure what ended up happening between Tom and Josh because whenever he brings it up Tom just changes the subject. He has more important things to worry about anyway, Mike and Danica's class only meets twice a week and on Tuesday Danica ignored Mike completely and on Thursday Mike accidentally fell asleep at the library and missed the class. He doesn't have her number because he realized that she had saved it in Tom's phone, but Tom says he doesn't see a Danica in his contacts. He's sitting on his bed, staring at the blackboard screen considering sending her an email since it's the only mode of communication he has, when his phone vibrates again.

_"About to get on the plane, can't wait to finally get back home!"_

_"I would take those five star hotels over my dorm room any day" Mike responds._

_"Let's switch, I would do anything to eat a pizza not on the meal plan."_

_"It definitely pays more than the restaurant and I could use the money. Plus I would obviously be an improvement to the team."_ Mike types out smiling, any other thought about Danica or emails gone from his head.

_"HA okay sure. How about you come watch me play on Tuesday? I'll put you on my list, I don't think your TV is working properly."_

Mike stares at his phone typing out responses and deleting them over and over again. _"Like, for free?"_

_"Like, for free. And good seats too!"_

_"Awesome! So I'll see you then!"_

_"Looking forward to it!"_

_"Is Josh going to be watching you also?"_

_"Airplane's about to take off, have to go"_

Mike rolls his eyes and looks back at his computer. The economics class roster is staring back at him and he has no idea what to do. Thankfully he hears the door move and he looks up to see Nate walking in. "I need help."

Nate flops on his bed and smiles wide at Mike. "Sure you don't want to ask Tom first since you talk to him all day anyway?"

"It's about Danica."

Nate raises his eyebrows. "You finally get Tom and you want Danica?"

"I'm not with Tom, Nate. We're just friends. He actually invited me to go watch his game on Tuesday!"

"And that's supposed to convince me you're just friends?" Nate smirks.

"I'll take Danica! You'll see, if I ever get her to talk to me again I'll take her to the game as a date."

Nate nods his head at Mike. "And how are you planning on getting her to talk to you again?"

Mike smiles and shows him his laptop screen. "Is blackboard email too much?"

"Blackboard email is the perfect amount of desperation to show her you mean it." Nate laughs.

\---

Mike was sitting on a bench trying to figure out his economics homework when he hears “378 dollars” behind him. He turns around to see Danica smiling at him.

“Danica!” Mike sits up.

“The restaurant makes a profit of $378.” Danica smiles as she walks around the bench and sits down next to Mike. “I got your blackboard email, I was going to respond when I got back to my dorm but I saw you here and thought I might as well say hi in person.”

“I’m glad you did,” Mike says smiling. “I got worried when you ignored me on Tuesday.”

“I thought you had blown me off when you didn’t answer my text. That you had slept with me and tried to ask me out just out of guilt. But I got your email so it’s okay now.”

“Yeah I can assure you I would never do that, I asked you out because I’m genuinely interested in you. The whole phone switch was just a big mistake. But since it’s all cleared, do you have any plans Tuesday night?” Mike asks.

“Tuesday? Can’t wait for Friday night?” Danica smiles.

Mike shakes his head laughing. “Absolutely not, I already had to wait this entire week! But actually I have tickets to the Washington Capitals game on Tuesday, and from what I hear they’re good seats too. So I was thinking we could go?”

“Capitals huh?” Danica smirks. “I’m more of a Blackhawks fan myself but I can appreciate Ovi.”

Mike gasps and grabs his chest pretending to be offended. “Blackhawks!? And you’re living in DC?”

Danica laughs shrugging. “I’m from Chicago! It’s what I grew up with. But like I said, Ovi is quite the legend. Plus my roommate is kind of in love Tom Wilson so maybe I can get a picture of him for her.”

The mention of Tom makes Mike freeze for a second. He feels like telling Danica that Tom is the one getting them the tickets and also the number she has saved on her phone would get her major brownie points, but for some reason stops himself. The same way he hasn’t asked Tom to help him with Danica, feeling like he needs them to be as far apart as possible. “Was your roommate at the party we met at?” He finally asks.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, make sure your roommate is sitting down when you tell her that Tom Wilson was at that party too.” Mike barely smiles.

At that Danica’s jaw drops. “You’re joking?”

Mika shakes his head. “Nope, I, um, saw him walking around.”

“That’s insane! She’s going to freak out and then probably cry.” Danica laughs.

That’s as far as he’ll go for now he thinks. He’s about to change the subject when Mike’s computer screen turns on with a message from myeconlab telling him that if he doesn’t respond in the next five minutes his page will log out. “Oh shit I never finished my homework.” He says turning back to the computer.

“Here I can help you” Danica smiles and takes Mike’s laptop.

They finish Mike’s homework and talk for a while more before both heading back to their dorm.

***

“The blackboard email worked!” Mike screams in triumph as soon as he gets into the room.

Nate laughs and turns around in his chair. “She responded?”

“Even better.” Mike nods. “She saw me sitting in one of the benches doing my homework and came up to me. We talked for a while, she helped me with my macro homework and I’m taking her to the game on Tuesday.”

“I’m impressed.” Nate says giving Mike a fist bump. “Hope Tom doesn’t get too jealous.”

He winks at Mike and turns back around putting his headphones back on before Mike can even respond. Mike throws a pillow at Nate anyway and lays down in bed. He messes around on his phone for a while until he gets a text.

_“That flight was horrible.”_

Mike looks at Tom’s text and smiles, then quickly looks at Nate to make sure he didn’t see him smile. “ _The professional NHL player life is so hard.”_

_“Five hours is too long to be stuck in a tube with the most annoying people in the world.”_

_“I’m sure if must have been hard for the rest of the team to have to deal with you.”_

_“You hurt me you know.”_

Mike laughs and sends back a bunch of emojis. “ _By the way, would it be possible for me to bring someone to the game?”_ He adds.

“ _Of course! Can’t wait”_

_“Thanks man, looking forward to it”_

They keep texting until Mike falls asleep and has to send Tom 6 videos of puppies the next morning in apology.

***

Mike and Danica’s date is going way better than Mike planned and he feels very pleased with himself. Danica seems to be having a lot of fun and she keeps turning to smile at him the entire time. When the game ends, Mike tells Danica that he has another surprise for her and she gets even more excited. Tom had told Mike how to get to the locker room and he wants to pass by to congratulate him on the win, as well as thank him for the tickets. He leads Danica who by the time she realizes where they're going can't stop giggling. He finally reaches a door where he says his name and asks for Tom and Danica gasps. “My roommate is going to flip.”

The door opens again and Tom comes out smiling. “Mike!”

“Hey Tom what’s up!”

Tom gives Michael a quick hug and sticks his arms out when he asks, “And where’s Nate?”

“At home probably.” Mike shrugs.

“Oh, I thought he was who you asked me you wanted to bring?” Tom responds, just now noticing Danica standing behind Mike.

“Nah I wanted to bring Danica. Also I just wanted to pass by to congratulate you on the win and thank you for the tickets, Danica and I had a great time.”

Danica nods her head feverishly and smiles. “We totally did, thank you!”

Tom hunches up, running a hand through his hair as he puts the other in his pocket. “No problem, yeah. Great to meet you Danica.”

“So Tom is actually the one I switched phones with the night I met you and the reason I never texted you back.” Mike tells Danica.

“Oh wow that's actually kinda cool.” Danica laughs.

“Yeah it's true.” Tom nods, barely smiling.

“Oh Mike” Danica turns back and grabs his arm. “I have my sorority’s event tomorrow so I should get some type of sleep.”

“Oh philanthropy right? Well good look it was nice to meet you!” Tom responds before Mike can even respond.

“Yeah, it's my house’s soccer tournament, lots to do!” Danica smiles.

“How’d you know it was her philanthropy event?” Mike laughs. “Stalking my girl now?”

“Oh I just wrote it in the text I thought I sent you but I guess I sent Tom.” Danica replies.

At that Mike’s smile goes away. “I thought you said you didn't get a text from her?”

Tom stutters and hunches even more. “I didn't, I just um guessed it was a philanthropy event I got lucky.”

“Wait I'm confused, if I saved Tom’s phone shouldn't my text have gone to him? Where could it have gone?” Danica says taking out her phone.

Mike slowly nods his head. “Yeah, it should have. Tom what's going on?”

“I um have no idea I never got it.” At that Tom phone lights up in his hand and “Danica From Macro” clearly appears on his screen.

Danica quickly hangs up and puts her phone down. “Oh”

“You also said that you didn't find Danica's saved contact?” Mike adds, anger starting to show.

“Mike I don't know it's not that big of a deal really you're with Danica now it's all fine. I must have not checked as good as I thought.”

“Mike it's really fine.” Danica says rubbing his arm. “I honestly just thought I got the wrong number, I wasn't trying to prove anyone was lying. It's fine, we’re here now.”

“How’s Josh doing Tom?” Mike finally asks sharply.

“Mike, please.” Tom begs.

Mike just huffs and shakes his head. “I think we need to go Danica.”

Danica quietly nods and follows Mike, turning around to see Tom push his head back and cover his face with his hands.

***

“So, um Josh? And, I’m guessing you too? Is Tom, you know.” Danica finally speaks when she's sitting next to Mike in the metro.

“Nothing happened between us. Almost, yeah, but he was still Josh. And yeah he's bi. He doesn't hide it or anything but I still wouldn't scream it out you know.” Mike shakes his head. “I can't believe I’m still protecting him.”

Danica puts her hand on Mike’s lap and draws circles with her thumb. “I won't say anything don't worry. And, um, I think you guys should talk. You know, before we go any further.” She whispers with a soft smile.

Mike shakes his head and turns fully around to face Danica. “Danica no there's nothing between us I promise.”

“There's obviously something with him, and I think you should have a chance to figure things out first. I could see something, I don't know. Trust me, I’m perfectly fine.”

Mike sighs and covers Danica’s hand. “You're pretty great.”

“I know.” Danica smiles.

***

 

Mike walks Danica to her dorm and she kisses him on the cheek before turning around and walking in. Mike sits on the bench for a couple of seconds staring at his phone, and then finally texts Tom.

“ _We need to talk.”_

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it! My tumblr is [here](http://fettuccinealfredo.co.vu/) if you'd like to check it out or just want to say hi! Kudos/comments/bookmarks and everything are of course much appreciated :)


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